'Possession is 9/10 of the law': Couple rescues abandoned friendly feline outside their apartment, only to be confronted by neighbor demanding "her pet" back, couple refuses to protect their new cat child

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    [Am I wrong] for not returning my neighbors cat?

    Cat on steps outside including 'If it took her that long and the cat was that neglected, you don't have her cat. You have your cat.'
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    I 24M and partner 23M found a stray cat outside our apartment complex. She was very friendly and let us pet her we decided to take her inside I waited about 2 weeks and no owner came foreword so we decided to keep her she was covered in fleas and
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    had scabs on her I got her vetted and microchipped (since she did not have one) in my name. About a month after finding her someone in the apartment complex approached me and claimed I had her cat
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    because she saw me petting her she stated she was an outside cat and she wanted her back. I feel since the cat was not cared for and really loves being inside (sleeping on the bed litter box trained etc) I should not have to give her back but part of me does feel guilty. A A?
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    Cat resting on chair
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    pitizenlyn ⚫ 6h ago If it took her that long and the cat was that neglected, you don't have her cat. You have your cat.
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    Graphite 57 6h ago Just get your neighbour to prove previous ownership by the scanning of the chip.. Sure, the cat may have technically been theirs at some stage, but it was, by your admission, clearly ignored and not given proper care.
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    We also have a cat that was a stray, appeared on the roof of various neighbours houses and sheds looking into our yard 7 years ago, we saw her for perhaps a couple of weeks at random moments before she approached us on the ground, she's hardly left the yard since.. she was skinny and had been poorly treated, she's happy now.
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    Cat outside
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    Francie1966 · 6h ago Keep the cat. Tell the neighbor to kick rocks.
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    Proud Texan1971 6h ago It's your cat. She was neglecting it. And possession is 9/10 of the law.
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    Reasonable-Bad-769 6h ago . NTA. Tell her you have no idea what she's talking about. Tell her you'd be happy to meet her at your let's and have them scan the microchip to prove your ownership. Period. Don't engage beyond that.
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    Don't defend, justify or argue or admit anything. Why? Because an outside cat that is not fed or cared for, covered in fleas and scabs where the "owner" takes a month to notice their disappearance IS a stray, one you rescued. End of story.
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    PetalRaven • 5h ago Dude, NTA. If that cat was truly theirs, they would've. looked for her in those two weeks. And seriously, an outside cat covered in fleas and scabs? Nah man, that ain't cool. No chip either, so in my books, you're her legit owner
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    now. Look after her well. She's found herself a home where she's loved, not just dumped outside. Definitely stick to your guns; that fur baby deserves better.
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    exhausted247365 5h ago NTA. I did this once. After $800 in vet bills, I considered that cat to be mine. Pro Tip: Don't fight the person. Just deny having the cat. What cat?
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    Hidden Aspie 6h ago You have taken the cat to the vet, so you have documented proof that the cat was neglected. Also, unless the neighbor has been taking it to the vet as well (highly doubtful) she would have a hard time proving it was ever hers.
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    If she still wants to put up a fight you can tell her that if she can prove it is hers then she will need to reimburse you for the vet care, that because the vet documented the obvious neglect that she cannot claim that the vet care was unnecessary, and as such she could get fined for animal neglect or mistreatment for allowing "her" cat to get to such a bad condition.
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    Plus cats' personalities are such that if it wanted to get out and leave your house it would be extremely obvious. That's your cat, (CDS) it just arrived to the apartment complex long before you did.
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    Which_Incident_9283.5h ago Don't you dare give that kitty to her!! She left the poor thing outside, covered in fleas and scabs, no microchip, no collar, nothing!! This constitutes abe and she never came looking for her. You took her in, gave her love, got her all
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    cleaned up, took her to the vet AND microchipped her. She is registered to you and now, in the eyes of the law, that is your cat!! If she causes a stink get the vet records from your vet as well as the registration for the microchip.
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    scooter3377 • 1h ago . What proof does she have that it is her cat? Probably none and if it was outdoors she didn't care enough to even take pics of it. She can kick rocks. It's your cat now and don't you dare give it back. You did your due diligence it sounds like to find the owner and she didn't come forward immediately with proof of ownership.
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    Ruebee90 5h ago NTA! The cat was not taken care of properly and not microchipped.
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    creepinitreal1994 • 2h ago . The fact that this woman didn't notice her cat gone for over a month, put in zero effort to find the cat, and it was neglected... I highly doubt she's going to put in the effort, energy, or the money to take OP to court for this.
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    Dis_engaged 23 • 2h ago NTA. What you found was an abandoned cat. With no chip or tag, how can the alleged previous owner claim her? Enjoy your new kitty.
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